Vettel has won all seven races since Formula One returned from its summer break, taking the championship in India and matching Michael Schumacher's record for the most consecutive victories in one season in Abu Dhabi last weekend. Vettel won by over 30 seconds from team-mate Mark Webber in Abu Dhabi, and Horner said the way Vettel uses his tyres is among the reasons why he is so much quicker than his rivals.

"He's just truly dominant," Horner said. "He's hit a patch of form that is phenomenal because we know Mark Webber is a very fine racing driver.

"I think Sebastian has stepped it up another gear. His feel for these tyres, which are more sensitive, he just seems to be able to get more out of them than any other driver in the pit lane. It's really impressive to witness."

Asked to compare Vettel's achievement with Schumacher's, Horner said his driver has had to deal with a much more level playing field in recent years.

"Times are very different," he added. "We're all on standard tyres now, there's less testing, we're limited in the amount of engines we can have, in the amount of windtunnel time, so it's a more even playing field. It's always difficult to compare generations with generations, but I don't have words to describe how phenomenal it is. It's truly impressive."